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Victim in downtown West Palm Beach stabbing speaks after arrest of attempted killer

Posted at 11:06 PM, May 14, 2018
and last updated 2018-05-15 05:20:43-04

No more hiding. No more fear.

The woman stabbed in heart in downtown West Palm Beach is showing her face -- and sharing her experience -- now that she's confident police have arrested the man who attacked her.

Suzanne -- who still wants to go by just her first name -- spent six days in the hospital after that knife pierced her heart during the April 8 attack.

She is now one hundred percent focused on her recovery.

Despite the attack, Suzanne saif she's not afraid to continue living her life in downtown.

"This is where I enjoy being," she told WPTV's Alanna Quillen. "Once I get that x-ray, I'm on my bike again. That's it."

Police said D'Antoine Jackson, 22, stabbed her in the heart while she rode her bike on Flagler Drive last month. 

Her scar has remarkably healed over well. You can barely see the cut that used to be fused together with staples just weeks earlier.

"When I had my surgery, they broke my sternum to get to my heart," she said. "I'm healing pretty nicely."

She said the power of positivity has helped her through this difficult time.

"It's faith in God. Period," she said. "It's clear He doesn't want me yet. It's clear I still have something to do here."

And that's why she says her next step in life is to help the less fortunate. According to the Fort Pierce police report, Jackson was arrested for trespassing into a remodeled home. He told officers say he was trying to take a shower and was homeless.

"I really don't have any bad feelings towards him. He needs help," she said. "When he stabbed me, I just looked at him and said 'Don't kill me.' And when I said that, he just got up and walked away. It's like a light went off in his head." 

She added, "He's violent but he has a soul. And he's somebody's child."

Even West Palm Beach mayor Jeri Muoio -- who happens to be Suzanne's neighbor -- had some words to share.

"It was a horrible thing to have happened," she said. "She has the most amazing attitude about it. And your heart goes out to her."

Adding insult to injury, after Suzanne got home from the hospital, she discovered her identity was stolen. This is making the financial burden of her medical bills even more difficult.

This week, the Northwood community is rallying to her aid by holding a special dinner being in her honor this Saturday.

There is also a GoFundMe page set up to help.